The Graduate

I wanted to send out Graduation announcements to acknowledge Jason's accomplishments. However having been students these last six years we are those poor students who can't afford to splurge on fancy announcements so this will have to do.  This man is an inspiration to me in all that he has accomplished in his two years during PA school. I never seen him more stressed, tired, wired, scared and all other spectrum of emotions that came along with the never ending tests and demanding rotation schedules. However I have seen a change in him for the good as he has worked this last year working directly with patients. He is caring and genuine and most of all he enjoys what he is doing and I know from experience that that is something you want to have when someone is in charge of your care. No longer a student but now a Physician Assistant. Jack and I could not be any happier for his success.

Presenting the Graduate Jason Willard Balls

Graduating from NOVA Southeastern University 

with his 

Masters Degree of Physician Assistant Studies.

Big Week

What a week this is for our little family.

Jackson started Pre-K today and he could not have been more excited. Jason is graduating on Sunday and we ARE all so EXCITED and so very ready!!!!

Way back when we were still in Logan and Jason was in the process of applying to PA schools we started to figure out what our lives would be like when Jason was finally out of school. We were in awe that Jackson would be almost five and starting school. To us this day was always so far away. To have it here is quite exciting. It is milestones like these that got me through those dark days of cancer. I cried like a baby after I took this picture I was just so happy that I am here able to experience it all. It has been a rough road in many aspects so this picture means so many wonderful things to me.

Jack was so excited to start school he got ready and ate breakfast the fastest I have EVER seen him eat and get dressed. Since we had some time to kill before school we had to do a first day of school picture in his new school clothes.

Jack goes to Nana's school so we had to catch up with her after class. What a great time for both of them to be at the same school and see each other each day. Plus it is a big help to me knowing Nana is just a couple of rooms away!

 Here's hoping the end of the week goes as smoothly. Jason's graduation is in Ft. Lauderdale so we get to spend the weekend down there. However there is a hurricane brewing off of the coast and is projected as of today to be bad on the day we head down there.  Here's praying everything works out and we can still have our vacation and everyone makes it there safely.

Checking off the list.

New hair cut

Check!

New school shoes

Check!

  

New school supplies

Check!

New school clothes

Check!

Jackson is all ready for Pre-K

Hooray!

This is Why

Summers are rough down here I admit it. 

The humidity bites, the rainstorms hurt my body and the heat gets to me. 

 

But it doesn't all seem that bad today and this is why.

  My sweet Mom picked Jack and I up for a lunch date then helped me lifeguard and herd the little boy in the pool. It was enough to recharge my batteries and helped my body heal. 

This is why I live in Florida there are certainly more good days than bad and that is a blessing.

 Thank you Mom for your help today you saved me and made one little boy very happy.

Stormy Weather

We have been having rainy stormy weather this month. Don't get me wrong I love the thunderstorms but they hurt my body. Last week I was plagued by intense headaches and an achy body that had me down and out all week. Being in that constant pain again caused many down moments and feelings. No matter what I did I could not shake the blah feelings.

The dark clouds gathering before a big storm.

Finally I could not take the depressing feelings and searched for relief. My wonderful husband and father gave me a blessing to relieve the pain and ease the frustration of the limitations of my body. I felt the best I had felt all week come Sunday and I was able to fast, something that I rarely have the physical ability to do. Today after a refreshing weekend I was listening to some talks on the Mormon radio and three talks came on in a row that said just what I needed to hear. My soul was calmed and it was as if the storm had broken.

Beautiful benefits of the stormy weather. 

With the dark clouds cleared I was able to focus on all that I had to be thankful for in my life. That simple change in attitude totally turned my day around. I got to stay home enjoy and truly appreciate my time with Jack. Our time is getting short with school only two weeks away. I was able to get into the kitchen and create, while doing so I listened to a good story. We met Mom and Dad at Moe's for our traditional burritos on Monday. Then we had mom and dad over for FHE and enjoyed fresh out of the oven cinnamon rolls. 

Nothing better than baking on a rainy day and sharing the joy with loved ones.

Days like these are rare but they are needed and helped me recharge. I can handle the storms if there is a moment of beauty and clarity to keep it all relative. I am so thankful I have the Gospel to provide that help because I need it a lot and often.

When I need to laugh

I pull up a video of Jack dancing and it seems to help.  Today's bad day brought the viewing of this video of him doing the Robot dance.



I also laughed till it hurt watching another adorable video of yet another curly headed blonde boy. What gets me is at the beginning he is so focused on keeping his birthday hat on he doesn't even look at the cake that is being presented to him. My brother in law and sister are awesome so why wouldn't their children be as well? http://archersuperultraradsite.blogspot.com/2011/08/singing-to-cooper.html

Thank you *Jackson and Cooper for making me laugh today. I needed it!

*you are lucky I recorded you on your good days to get me through your bad ones mister.

Jackson Happenings

The other day I was having a conversation with my sister Cami about the things our kids are into these days. We laughed at the differences between what was going on at my house as I was dealing with a almost five year old boy and what she was dealing with at her house with an almost five year old girl. It has been interesting because growing up with sisters on both sides of me and a brother who was older I didn't really know what was going on in boy world and it is all new to me. Jack can play with cars for hours and I just don't know what to do after I push the car around the track a couple of times and he gets frustrated with me over that. Besides playing and racing his cars around and around we do play with other things.

This is what Jack is into these days as a soon to be five year old boy.

He plays with and pretends to be super heroes.

I don't mind and can do this one especially when I am assigned a good superhero to "be"

 

Finds joy in potty humor. There have been several instances where Jack will just come up and whisper in our ear "underwear" and fall to the ground laughing.

Being silly!

He does and says a whole lot of silly things. Another favorite thing he likes to do is just randomly whisper or yell "pony". He finds it hilarious. Jason and I have to laugh because it is rather funny and random. When he is in a super silly mood he will combine the two together and say "pony underwear." that one sends him over the top.

Legos are a big deal as well. 

The other day Jack and I built a scene from Cars 2. Here the cars are racing through Tokyo.

 

Jack has quite the social life. Just this last week we had a friend over on Wednesday to play (which they spent the whole two hours in his room playing cars)  Then we went to the beach with friends on Thursday. Friday we had another friend over for pizza and pool time and even some bike riding. It is great to have such fun friends around to do stuff with.

He is getting really good in the water. A month ago we could not get him to go under water now we can't get him to stay above water for very long.

 He loves to play games. 

He is not the most graceful loser but is getting better at not pouting for too long at least.

Riding bikes. 

Jack is Jason's son for sure. He has four bikes that he has been riding. One is his balance bike, one a trike, one is a big bike with training wheels and one is a little bike with petals and no training wheels. He has not wanted to ride the little bike because that is the one Jason really wanted him to ride. Being the stubborn child he is he finally just started riding it after months of encouragement and what do you know he actually likes it!